Method of decorating articles



May 15, 1934.

A. H. STEWART METHOD OF DECORATING ARTICLES Filed June 27 1952 Patented May 15, 193e- 13 58,595

UNITED srArEs PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF DECORATING ARTICLES Andrew H. Stewart, Shields, Pa, assignor to The Phoenix Glass Company, Monaca, Pm, a. corporation of West Virginia Application June 27, 1932, Serial No. 619,376

2 Claims. (01. 41-33) My invention relates to a method of decoratcellulose material, or the like, and press it firmly ing articles, including sign globes for out of doors, against the exposed decalcomania, by a roller or such as those of the canteen type, and other squeegee. The water is thereby squeezed from surfaces-especially those intended for outside between the sheet and decalcomanla and the use. sheet of course caused to flt snugly in place. .0

-It is common practice to decorate and letter The facing sheets may, of course, be tinted in the faces of sign globes by the decalcomania desired colors instead of being fully transparent. process, or by painting and then firing the colors. If the decalcomania is permitted to dry before Because the decoration or lettering soon becomes applying the transparent sheets, any suitable weather-worn and scales off, attempts have been glue may be employed to attach the sheets theremade to preserve the applied color, by various to, or the decalcomania surface may be merely means such as protecting plates of transparent moistened with water and the transparent sheet glass, held against the decorated globe faces by applied to the moistened surface. cement and by metal fastenings, but these addi- Instead of covering the decalcomania wit 15 tional plates are expensive in the first instance transparent material that is initially of sheet iii and also are fragile, so that replacements thereform, I may paint it with a liquid material that of are frequently necessary. will become a flexible sheet or film, when .it dries. My invention has for one of its objects the Various collodions are suitable for this purpose. provision of a new means and a method whereby After the transparent sheet or film has been 2 the decoration and lettering may be quickly and placed on the decorated surface, the article is "3'6 cheaply applied, and a transparent protective permitted to dry, and is then ready for use. Howcovering therefor employed that may be more ever, it is preferable to subject the article, for conveniently applied than glass face plates. several minutes, to a temperature of from 125 F. 7 Another object is to provide a transparent proto 300 F., especially in those cases where sheets 5 tective covering that is'unbreakable and that will are employed. It has been found that this heatcover the globe faces so snugly that dust is exing causes the protective covering to unite quite eluded therefrom, and which will not crack and firmly with the decalcomania, without blistering, peel off. and that it will not peel off of the paint.

One of the forms which my invention may take The upper limit of temperature will be under 30 is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein that at which the facing will harden and crack Figure 1 shows a face view of a decorated globe, or be melted, and under that at which the decaland Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one face thereof, comania material will melt greatly or be taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1. damaged.

For convenience of description, I show a globe In the case of the decalcomanias which I have 35 3 of the canteen type which has flat or nearly employed, globes containing the same have been flat faces 4 to which a transparent sheet of fiexiheated to approximately 300 F., without causing blematerial may be easily applied, without wrinexcessive melting of the material. The softening kles, but surfaces other than flat surfaces can of the decalcomania material, under heat, causes be protected by my method in the same manner, the transparent facing to adhere firmly thereto, 40 and also sheets can be pre-formed to follow the independently of any residue of glue that may contours of the surfaces. have been left on the exposed face of the de- The globe faces may be lettered and decorated calcomania when the paper was removed. with colors in any suitable manner, but I prefer The transparent facing sheets are superior to to employ the usual decalcomania or transfer protective coatings of varnish or the like, because 45 process. varnish not only cracks and peels with age, The decalcomanias are commonly transferred especially by reason of heat created within infrom a paper sheet to which they are secured by teriorly-illuminated globes and by sun-rays, but

water-soluble glue, to the surface to be decothe globes acquire a discolored appearance. rated, by wetting the sheet. Glue adheres to the Instead of applying the decalcomania. to the 50 exposed side of the decalcomania, after transfer, glass surface and then placing the transparent 1 5 and will assist in causing proper adhesion of the sheet over the same, the decalcomania may initransparent facing sheets. After application of tially be carried by the transparent sheet and the decalcomania 5, and while it is still wet, I applied to the glass surface by wetting the deapply a sheet 6 of transparent water-proof "cellocalcomania or the glass, and pressing the trans- 5 phane, a kodapak, transparent water-proof parent sheet and the decalcomania against the glass. The globe may then be heated as heretotore explained, and this heating will not only effect a firmer union of the transparent sheet with the decalcomania material, but will-also cause the decalcomania to adhere more firmly to the glass.

It will, of course, be understood that it is not essential for the transparent sheet to adhere to the face of the globe throughout the entire surface of the sheet, but the sheet can be pressed snugly against the globe and the edges thereof cemented or otherwise secured to the globe.

I claim as my invention:-

1. The method which comprises applying a desurface.

ANDREW H. STEWART. 

